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The herb is useful as a nervine tonic. It is also useful in treating rheumatism, neurological disorders such as hemiplegia, facial paralysis, sciatica; polyuria, dysuria, cystitis, strangury and haematuria; leucorrhea and other uterine disorders; fever and general debility. The herb possesses properties such as cooling, astringent, stomachic and tonic, aromatic, bitter, febrifuge, demulcent and diuretic. It is also useful as a cardiac tonic in Ancient Medicine.

Botanical name - Sida cordifolia
Family name - Malvaceae
English name - Country Mallow
Sanskrit name - Bala

Habitat

The plant along with the other species is common through out the tropical and sub-tropical plains all over India and Ceylon, growing wild around the road side.

Chemical constituents

The root contains alkaloids – ephedrine, si – ephedrine, beta-phenethylamine, carboxylated tryptamines and hypaphorine, quinazoline alkaloids – Vasicinone, Vasicine and vasicinol. Choline and betaine have also been isolated.

Useful parts

Roots, seeds, leaves and stem

Actions

Root of all these species are regarded as cooling, astringent, stomachic and tonic, aromatic, bitter, febrifuge, demulcent and diuretic. It is also used as a cardiac stimulant I n the Ancient Medicine. The seeds are considered as aphrodisiac.

A sitoindoside, isolated from the plant, has been reported to exhibit adaptogenic and immuno-stimulatory activities. Alcoholic extract of the plant possesses anti-bacterial and anti-pyretic properties. The plant is invigorating and spermatopoietic.

Uses

• It is useful as a nervine tonic. It is also useful in treating rheumatism, neurological disorders such as hemiplegia, facial paralysis, sciatica; polyuria, dysuria, cystitis, strangury and haematuria; leucorrhea and other uterine disorders; fever and general debility.
• It is also useful in treating spermatorrhoea.
• Roots are sometimes given as infusion in nervous and urinary diseases and disorders of the blood and bile. Infusion is also useful in bleeding piles, in strangury and haematuria, gonorrhea, leucorrhea, chronic dysentery, nervous diseases as insanity, facial paralysis and in asthma as a cardiac tonic.
• The root is of such significant importance that, it is sometimes used as a substitute for Rddhi in the formulation of Brihat Ashwagandha Ghrita for increasing sexual power.
• This root is particularly used as a chief ingredient in the formulation of various medicated oils that are used for external application in nervous diseases.
• Leaves mixed with rice are given to alleviate the bloody flux. They are mucilaginous and used as a demulcent; and with other cooling leaves are applied in ophthalmia. In infusion they are helpful in treating fevers as a cooling medicine and to check bloody fluxes.
• When fresh, they are bruised and applied to boils to promote suppuration. Boiled milk whisked with fibrous twigs coagulates. Leaves are also useful in treating bleeding piles.
• Roots, leaves and seeds all are used in Ayurveda as a stomachic and cardiac tonic.